DIY Pet-Safe Cleaners

With stores running low on disinfecting supplies, it can be a challenge to find your favorite pet-safe cleaner. Luckily, pet-safe household cleaning solutions are easy to make in your kitchen and will last just as long as the commercial varieties.

What Makes A Cleaning Product, Anyway?

Those bright green and blue chemicals sold in spray bottles to clean our houses have long, unpronounceable ingredients. But really, all you need to clean surfaces is some sort of disinfectant, and/or some sort of lubricant. That's why it's so easy to make pet-safe cleaning supplies at home. Let's get started!

General Safety Information For Homemade Cleaning Products

If you need to make your own cleaning products, remember to stay safe! Although some cleaning products may be safe for your pets, they may not be safe for your surfaces. Be sure to do a small test of any cleaning product before treating a soft or unsealed area, like carpet, fabric, or wood.

If you're using multiple cleaning products, never mix them. Mixing vinegar, baking soda, bleach, and/or ammonia can cause dangerous chemical reactions that can be extremely harmful to you and your pets. If you must use one product after another, wash the area down with water and give it a few hours to fully disperse.

Keep the areas that you're cleaning well ventilated, and stop immediately if you're feeling lightheaded. Even if you're using homemade, pet-safe cleaners, be sure to keep your pets out of the area you're cleaning. This is for safety and convenience. We don't want you tripping over fluffy while you're cleaning your toilet!

A Multipurpose Cleaner

One of the easiest cleaning supplies you can make at home is a vinegar solution. You can use diluted vinegar -- or apple cider vinegar -- to clean just about anything. Some sites recommend a 1:10 solution of vinegar to water, in other words, one part vinegar to nine parts water.

Vinegar dilutions are great as a way to clean hard surfaces like your kitchen counters. It can also be used to clean up messes, but be sure to clean up excess liquid to prevent water damage on surfaces like your floors.

Natural Odor Absorber Safe For Your Pets

Candles are dangerous around cats and dogs; and commercial odor absorbers may accidentally be ingested by curious pets. What can you do to get rid of that pet smell? It's easy!

Baking soda is a well-known odor absorber, and it's not attractive to your pets at all. Place a box of baking soda near the little box (where it can't get knocked over), in the fridge, or by your pet supplies. You'll need to change it monthly for the best protection from smells.

A Pet Safe Window Cleaner

Got smudges or nose prints on your window? That's easy to fix! Add 5 tablespoons of lemon juice to 2 liters of water -- estimating is just fine, don't think too hard! Spray your surface and use a lint-free cloth to wipe clean. Nice and shiny!

If you need to clean your phone, tablet, or computer screen, always spray the cloth instead of spraying directly on the device. It's also a good idea to check with the manufacturer just in case the display is made with a delicate material that could be damaged by regular cleaning solutions!

A Pet Safe Carpet Cleaner

Did your dog or cat leave a mess on your furniture or carpet? First, blot with paper towels. If the mess is large or nasty, you can consider using some kitty litter to dry it out, then sweep it up in an hour or two. After the initial clean up, you can sprinkle baking powder on the stain. Combine some hydrogen peroxide with a squirt of dishwashing liquid and apply it to the baking powder. It will foam as they react with each other. Scrub at the stain for a minute before letting it sit for about ten. Blot up any additional liquid, then vacuum the area thoroughly.

Remember: test an area of your carpet and/or furniture with this method before using it to clean up a mess.